Tennis

Novak Djokovic breaks silence

January 12, 2022 4:18 pm

Novak Djokovic [Source: NZ Herald]

Novak Djokovic has issued a statement responding to suggestions he lied on his travel declaration to enter Australia and attended sporting events while potentially infectious with COVID-19.

The unvaccinated Serbian player, who is currently in Melbourne for the Australian Open, said on Wednesday he wanted to address matters of “misinformation” that had raised concern among Australians and been “very hurtful” to his family.

“I want to emphasise that I have tried very hard to ensure the safety of everyone and my compliance with testing obligations,” part of his post to Instagram read.

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Detailing his movements before his positive Covid result was returned on December 18, he said he attended a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14.

He was asymptomatic but opted to take a rapid antigen test on December 16, then an official PCR test the same day “out of an abundance of caution”.

“The next day I attended a tennis event in Belgrade to present awards to children and took a rapid antigen test before going to the event, and it was negative,” he wrote.

“I was asymptomatic and felt good, and I had not received the notification of a positive PR test result until after that event.”

Despite the positive result, he made the regretful decision to “fulfil a longstanding commitment for a L’Equipe interview and photo shoot” on December 18.

“I cancelled all other events except for the L’Equipe interview,” he wrote.

“I felt obliged to go ahead and conduct the L’Equipe interview as I didn’t want to let the journalist down, but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken.”